This belongs to the group of medicines known as immunosuppressants.

Prograf can be used to prevent the rejection of new organs following a transplant operation. Sometimes the body tries to reject new donor tissue, Prograf helps to prevent this rejection by suppressing the body's immune or defence system.

Prograf is available in capsule and injection form.

It is also sometimes known as: Prograf. You may notice the use of either of these names on the packaging of your medicine.

Why is this drug prescribed?

Prograf capsules and injection contain the active ingredient tacrolimus, which is a type of drug called an immunosuppressant. Immunosuppressants are used to dampen down the activity of cells in the immune system. When you receive an organ transplant the donor cells, although matched as closely as possible to yours, will not be identical to yours. This means that your immune system will recognise the tissue as foreign and try to attack the transplanted organ. This can result in the transplant being rejected. Tacrolimus is used to prevent transplant rejection because it suppresses the activity of the cells in your immune system that would normally attack the transplanted tissue. Tacrolimus acts on the white blood cells. It works by blocking the action of a substance called calcineurin that is found in white blood cells called T-lymphocytes. This action prevents the T-lymphocytes from producing substances called lymphokines. Lymphokines are normally produced by the T-lymphocytes when a foreign substance is detected in the body. The purpose of the lymphokines is to stimulate the production of more T and B lymphocytes, the white blood cells responsible for regulating and triggering immune responses. The T and B lymphocytes attack foreign invadors and defend the body against infection and foreign cells. By preventing the production of lymphokines, tacrolimus suppresses the action of the T and B lymphocytes. This stops these cells from attacking foreign invadors and triggering other responses by the immune system. Tacrolimus is used to prevent rejection of kidney, liver and heart transplants. It is used in combination with other immunosuppressant drugs, such as corticosteroids. Tacrolimus can be given by mouth or by a drip into a vein if administration by mouth is not possible.

Treatments

* Preventing the body rejecting a transplanted kidney, liver or heart * Treating transplant rejection when other immunosuppressants have failed to control the rejection.

What side effects can this drug cause?

* Infections * Difficulty in sleeping * Shaking, usually of the hands * Headache * High blood pressure * Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain * Skin reactions such as rash, itch, acne, sweating, hair loss * Raised blood sugar level * Raised cholesterol level * Disturbances in the normal levels of chemical components in the blood, eg raised potassium, decreased sodium, magnesium, calcium * Disturbances in the normal levels of blood cells in the blood * Shortness of breath * Appetite and weight changes * Pain in the muscles or joints * Visual disturbances * Anxiety and agitation * Confusion * Depression * Dizziness * Pins and needles or numb sensations * Seizures * Heart problems such as abnormal heart beats, enlargement of the heart, heart failure * Kidney problems such as decreased kidney function or kidney failure * Liver problems such as jaundice, hepatitis, liver failure * Ulceration or bleeding in the gut * Bleeding * Abnormal blood clots in the blood vessels